The Killing of a Dragon King
by GurrenLagann
Summary: According to everyone, Roxas was a poor excuse of a dragon, the weakest of the weak. They never thought one day their lives would be in his hands, and Roxas never expected his journey to end like this. AkuRoku.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: manga and characters not mine.

Loosely based on the manga, The Killing Method of a Dragon, but I have defiantly taken quite a few liberties with it!

Updates will probably come about once a month, despite the fact that I have this story planned out to the end already, writing it down and revising and revising and revising(Because I do tend to revise what I've written 6-7 times until I am happy with it) each chapter will take some time.

I should also mention that there will be much in the way of the boy kisses (AkuRoku) but nothing to hardcore.

If you are still interested in reading, then I proudly present:

The Killing Of A Dragon King

Prologue:

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><p>Once upon a time, long, long ago, the Earth was at peace.<p>

It was a time when the grass was a deep green and the sky a brilliant blue, and there were two kingdoms, regal and proud.

The Silver King, known to his people as Xemnas, ruled over the humans with a heavy hand. Strict and absolute, the commoners feared the Silver King, though most had nothing to worry over as long as they did not anger the King, for the King's wrath was a blind fury, shielding him from all reason. Despite this flaw, he was considered a good, fair King in the earlier years of his reign.

The Dragon Queen ruled to the east of the Silver King's lands. She was a good and kind Queen, ruling fair and just over all magical beings. Many centuries old was this Queen, and her lifetime had seen many a war fought between the two kingdoms, the senseless death of comrades on both sides. This peace was seen as a blessing in her eyes and the Dragon Queen was willing to offer even her life to ensure a safe future.

As time passed and the peacetime continued, the Silver King became less and less content with his riches and power. Such malcontent started out as a seedling, a mere thought that fluttered across his mind, taking root, growing, stretching until it became something much larger, filling his head. He wanted everything that was not his, and the more he mulled it over, the more he saw just what exactly he didn't have. The magical beings were nothing but animals; their humanoid forms nothing but a mirage. And the King knew, then, where he had left to conquer, and sent out his armies the very next day, laden with weapons and spells stolen from the magical beings themselves, into the lands of the Dragon Queen.

On that first day, countless homes were decimated, beings killed, and just like that the peace was shattered.

Many years passed and the fighting never ceased. The Dragons Queen's treaties were met with distain and laughter by Xemnas, who ripped each one sent his way in half.

It was then that the Queen made her decision. If the violence carried on, the warring energies would rip the Earth apart, resulting in the loss of both kingdoms. Every sounding of trumpets and roar of the dragons was nothing more than a herald to the coming apocalypse. When the Silver King finally reached the gates of the White City, the Dragon Queen flew high above the armies, spreading her magnificent wings. All fighting halted as she drew in energy, a swirl of colors and light so bright that soon the soldiers and mages were forced to look away and cover their eyes. With a harsh cracking noise the Dragon Queen exploded into hundreds of pieces.

When the people were able to once again able to open their eyes, they were aghast with the sight before them. The once gleaming city lay before them in a pile of rubble, not a single trace of the once mighty magical beings left behind to solidify that they once existed. Xemnas, realizing his mission had failed, shouted to the heavens, cursing the Dragon Queen for robbing him of his victory.

The Silver King disappeared that very night, running off into the darkness with nothing but his injured pride and a plot for revenge. For the sneaky king had seen what others had not. When all had looked away, sky had split open amidst the explosion and the dragons pulled through. With the Queen's death a new world had opened, and he was going to find it.

And thus the magical beings faded from most memories, becoming nothing more than scary tales and magical stories told to wide-eyed children in front of fires on the darkest of night

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><p>The huge open and airy hall was silent. A gentle breeze passing through the large arches that led in from the courtyard. Occasionally a fairy would flutter in, circling the wide stone pillars that ran down the length of the room, before swooping upward and into one of the many ivy covered alcoves and carvings worked into the upper reaches of the walls and across the ceiling. A small blonde boy around the age of eighteen sat at the far end of the room, knees hugged to his chest and his usual scowl on his face. Next to him a large wooden door stood ajar and the voices of those in the room beyond could just barely be heard through the gap.<p>

"You wish for tha-that whelpling to be made King?" Said whelpling, sitting right outside the room, deepened his frown. _'I know I'm not the ideal choice, but must they sound so disgusted'_

"I concur whole-heartedly! Prince Roxas has trouble with even the most simplest of spells, let alone achieve mastery in any element. Her Royal Majesty Queen Namine excelled in Ice magics. Queen Larxene; lighting. King Sora; healing. Need I go on?" As each of his ancestors was named, the teen's heart sank deeper and deeper, knowing that everything said was true, the blonde had trouble with even the most rudimentary of spell castings, even if he was declared fit for the throne he could never hope to live up to their image. He couldn't help the small bubble of despair that had settled in his chest.

Blue eyes began to mist, tears gathering at the corners ready to fall as he heard a murmur of agreement with the previous statement. Several more comments were thrown about, most taking jabs at the boy's ineptitude. All the while he sat and listened, hoping, praying that a certain someone would step in and speak on his behalf.

Despite his shortcomings, Roxas was a smart boy, and kind too, though not many saw that side of him. He was an outcast, blessed with the powers of light and necromancy, two of the most rare and dangerous elements, making him an oddity. His lack of magic skills only added to his situation. To have such power and yet not know how to yield was a shame, or so he had been told many a time. He had had a friend once, a best friend in a unicorn named Hayner. They had accepted each other and were almost never seen apart. It had been that way until two years ago, when Hayner had disappeared. At first Roxas had felt abandoned, left behind, thinking his friend had gotten tired of him. It wasn't until several others; their numbers steadily increasing over the years, vanished as well that Roxas realized that Hayner had only been the first.

Though his necromancy skills were what made Roxas the best candidate, there were many reservations as well as other dragons fighting for the throne. Most wanted it for the prestige it gave them; Roxas wanted it because he knew that with the rise in disappearances the King would be sent to discover and eliminate the source of the missing people. He figured he owed it to Hayner to do this, even if he couldn't save his best friend, he could prevent it from happening to others.

Wanting to leave these painful thoughts behind him, Roxas tuned back into what the council members were saying.

"The role of the king is to protect our world, and with these huge numbers of missing beings, we need a king we can place our faith in, and that dragon is not and never will be that king!"

"Stop with this nonsense," a brash, deep voice spoke up for the first time. The boy out in the hall felt his hopes rise, even if by only a small amount. "The boy is a necromancer. He possesses the ability to channel past kings and queens; do you realize just how powerful that makes Roxas? He is weak on his own, yes, but with his ancestors? Practically unstoppable. Why would we abandon such power to the wind?"

The blonde was fuming; he had thought High Councilman Leon believed in him, Roxas, not just his magic. When they had talked earlier the older man had reassured him that he was on his side. Instead, all Leon cared about were his powers. _'Well screw you Leon! When I become king I'll show you just what I can do. They will all be regret the day that they ever doubted me!' _

And with that Roxas bolted down the large hall, skirting around the various flower ensembles as his legs continued to carry him through the garden. Stopping in front of an ornately carved wooden door, the blue eyed boy quickly disappeared into the room beyond, fairly content to let his anger sizzle until he was to tired to keep his eyes open a second longer.

He never did hear the council members murmuring their agreement to Leon's statement, nor the vote that was held not long after. The brunette was happy with the direction the meeting had taken, feeling a weight taken off his shoulders when the rightful candidate was chosen. Roxas was to be crowned king, and Leon was convinced that he was the only dragon capable of carrying them through the storm brewing ahead. The kid had heart and determination and he would save them all.

The blonde had refused to leave his chambers all day, even going so far as to refuse all requests to enter as well as any food or water. Roxas was very much pleased to sit in his large bay window overlooking the forest, reading and tuning out the rest of the world in general. Yesterdays eavesdropping session only solidified his fears that the council would hand over his rightful position as king to someone less qualified.

Not that Roxas was all that qualified himself, but what he lacked in magic skills he made up for in other areas. He was intelligent and resourceful, not to mention that he was the wielder of both Oblivion and OathKeeper, the legendary Dragon Swords. But besides all of that Roxas was raised by his father, the previous king, to be selfless, to put others and his world before himself, and it was that very quality that made him king worthy.

A sharp rap to the door brought the blonde out of his revere, _'What do they want now?'_ He stood quickly, maneuvering around his bed and through the section of his room used as a seating area, coming to a halt at the door. "Go away, I do not wish to see anyone!"

"Roxas, you will let me in this instant whether you wish to see me or not." Recognizing the stern voice, Roxas's eyes widened then narrowed, remembering yesterday's betrayal.

Before he had the chance to deny the High Councilman's request, the door was flung open and the brunette strolled through, reclosing the door in his wake. "Roxas we need to talk, preparations must be made, and yet you insist on locking yourself in your chambers-"

Not caring to hear the rest, and just wanting the offending man to get to the point of his rude visit, Roxas cut in, "What do you want Leon?"

Leon, whose arms had been waving frantically as his speech had progressed, now turned to look directly at the blonde with confusion "Roxas?" The question plainly heard in his voice. When no answer was forthcoming as to the young dragons' strange behavior he continued, "I have come to tell you-"

Roxas grunted in frustration and once again the brunette was cut off, "Come to tell me what exactly?" He seethed, "How weak I am? How you lied to me? How you told me you had faith in me, Roxas, the biggest screw up in dragon lore, but really all you wanted was my ancestors? Because please go on I would love to hear what exactly you have to say!"

"Wha-? I never lied to you! I meant every word I said." Leon's face scrunched up tight in confusion at the words being thrown at him.

The confusion, easily read on the others face, set Roxas over the edge. "Oh so I suppose the council-"

Now it was Roxas turn to be drowned out by the brunette's shouting. "The council? That is what this is about? I told them exactly what they wanted to hear, what else was I supposed to do? 'Oh by the way vote for Roxas because I believe he can do it!'" the man threw a fist into the air, reminiscent of cheering, though the sarcasm ruined the effect. " That's not what they wanted to hear. What they care about is having a king powerful enough and strong enough to protect us; they don't give a damn about anything else… and you know what? You should be damn well grateful because that was what got you the throne."

The blonde froze as those last few words sunk in, mouth open and hands up, poised and ready to interject into Leon's ranting. Was he really hearing what he think he was? "What?" Arms dropped and words died on his lips, remaining unsaid as blue eyes widened.

"You, Roxas, are king."

The next week or so was a flurry of activity. Everybody rushed about planning and prepping for the big day, the coronation. Roxas himself had little participation in these roles, for he had a bigger concern on his hands. While the maids spent their days picking out fabrics and silverware for the afterfeast, the blonde was locked away in the library, studying and looking over state affairs. Not the most exciting of jobs, but necessary all the same.

And now the big day had arrived.

The blonde was currently standing outside of the Dragon Queen's shrine, shifting his weight between his feet, a nervous habit. Built hundreds of years ago when the world was first created, it was made in honor of the Dragon Queen who willing gave her life for their people and set an example for all future leaders.

The shrine was well taken care of and made of the finest white marble in the land. Intricate carvings decorated the matching marble doors, depicting the great battle, while grand statues of past kings and queen lined the walkways and staircases that led to the entrance.

Roxas had visited the holy building on many occasions but never had he had the honor of attending a ceremony as important as this, and most certainly never could have dreamed to be the guest of honor. And yet here he was, loitering outside of his own coronation, glancing around in awe, attempting to disguise the fact that he was too nervous to take the next step, but who was he trying to kid? Could he really do this? Was he really the right choice_? 'Do I even have a chance? Or am I doomed to failure?'_

After quite a long time battling with his nerves, Roxas finally gathered the courage to push open the doors and head inside, coming to the drawn out conclusion that whether or not he was right for the job he owed it to all of Dragonkind to at least try.

He quickly made his way over to a group of priest huddled in front of another set of doors, wooden this time, who were apparently waiting for their future king to make an appearance. One of the taller men broke away from the group once Roxas was spotted and slipped through the doors to alert the High Priest that the coronation could proceed.

Music suddenly filled the air signaling his arrival. All at once the blondes' previous worries came to the forefront again, but it was too late now, and all he could do was hope and pray that he didn't screw this up.

The doors opened, cueing Roxas to begin the trek forward and down the center aisle. He began to admire the hall, taking in the space as he tried to calm the butterflies in his stomach, noticing how the pillars and columns stretched forever upwards, then the crowds that stood politely in the pews facing the huge marble alter and throne at the front of the room. At the sight of the crowds it all became so surreal. While glancing over the many faces, he managed to catch sight of Leon, eyes briefly connected, long enough to alleviate the nerves Roxas had been holding onto.

Reaching the platform, the boy was instructed to kneel and bow his head. Roxas couldn't believe that this was really happening. The High Priest began chanting in the Olden Tongue, blessing Roxas, and his Kingship. "Querdea omna…"

After a while, Roxas tuned out the proceedings, simply doing what he was told and it wasn't until many hours and speeches later that the delicate silver crown, inlaid with blood red rubies and touches of gold leaf was finally laid upon his head.

"Long live his Majesty, King Roxas!" It was a thunderous roar, and one of the loudest rackets the newly appointed King had ever heard in his life.

The party was then moved to the castle ballroom, which had been prepared and lavishly decorated the week before.

It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off Roxas shoulders. He knew that the road ahead would be perilous and far from easy, but now he was in a position to help and no one could take that away from him. But now all worries aside, it was time to celebrate and be at ease, if only for the night.

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><p>See ya later Alligators!<p>

~GL


	2. Chapter 2

The Killing Of A Dragon King

Disclaimer: Neither the manga nor Kingdom Hearts belongs to me.

Chapter 2

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><p>Roxas was correct in assuming that he only had that evening to relax, for the next morning he was up, rising with the sun, which if you asked him was much too early. However the council had summoned him, and no matter the time, this was what he had been waiting for, and he would not let the hour keep him from arriving promptly.<p>

And arrive promptly he did, returning to the room where not more than a week ago, he had listened in as the council argued against him, however this time he was in the room rather than eavesdropping outside. A much better position in his opinion.

Once he managed to maneuver his way into the room, the gentlemen awaiting his presence stood and a greeting of "your majesty" was murmured before they all resumed their previous positions.

Glancing around the room, Roxas took in the 12 council members that were sitting around a circular table, a thirteenth chair sat empty. He wanted to laugh at that irony, knowing these men had sat in this very place discussing his inadequacy, and now here he stood, King. Not being so prideful that he needed to dwell on such thoughts, the blonde took advantage of the lull in conversation brought about by his entrance and made his way to the obviously designated spot, taking his place. As Roxas lowered himself, the High Councilman rose, a blank expression carefully placed across his visage as he took control of the meeting. "Now before we proceed, Your Majesty, I wish to confirm that you are indeed aware of the disappearances?"

"Yes, but not the full details and specifics." And it was true. Sure everyone had their own theories, most turning out to crazy for Roxas to even consider being a possibility, and yes, Leon had relayed to him a bit of information not known to the general public, but other than that most things of this nature were kept closely guarded.

Leon's face grew somber, mouth turned down in a slight frown, so small the blonde was the only one familiar enough to notice, and the only thing betraying his unease with the situation. "Then I will not dance around the matter for which we are here to discuss. Beings are vanishing without a trace. First it was one or two at the most, but now those numbers are increasing. It is our belief that they are disappearing through to Earth."

Roxas could only nod distractedly; frowning, similarly to the brunette, at what he had just been told, having heard this all from the Leon before, but that made the news no less disturbing in the boys eyes. Leon, however, had been unwilling to reveal any more than that at the time, much to the blondes dissatisfaction, leaving him with several unanswered questions. And today those questions would be answered. "Why Earth? How do you know that's where they are going?"

"There have been disturbances within the veil that separates the two worlds. Nothing like this has ever happened before, and the distortions are increasing in frequency at the same rate as the missing beings. Too convenient to be coincidental" Leon stated.

"Why?" The blonde couldn't help but wonder, completely unaware he had spoken out loud. _'You don't just randomly get pulled through, right? There's got to be a reason.'_

A rather rotund councilman sitting to the blondes left spoke up "It is not the why we are particularly worried about at the moment, more so than the how."

Another from across the table picked up the thought, continuing on, "it is quite hard to cross the barrier, nearly impossible, if you will."

"And yet, it's happening with alarming frequency? Obviously it's not as 'impossible' as you make it seem." This did not sit well with Roxas, something was being withheld from him, something big. This was made even clearer when the room visibly bristled at his last comment.

Leon refused to look him in the eyes, opening his mouth several times before speaking again. "Each time the veil was broken, it wasn't accidental, it was ripped to shreds from the other side."

Silence, deafening silence followed this statement.

"Someone is attacking the barrier with magic and pulling us through, but we don't know why or who."

The blonde sat dumbfounded. He thought it was bad before he had all of the details, now things just seemed worse than he thought. "And this is where I come in right?"

A burly looking member sitting next to Leon slammed his palms down roughly on the table, using them to leverage himself into a standing position, speaking up for the first time, no longer able to hold his tongue. "Fools, all of you! He is no more fit for this mission than to be king."

That drove Roxas over the edge. He was sick of people belittling him; thinking ill of his character and strength. He stood preparing to throw about a few choice words at the man, but before he could give the member a piece of his mind, Leon had him by the shoulders pinned to the wall, holding a small hunting knife to his throat. The only evidence of his movement was an upturned chair.

Do you realize the implications of your words?" The man's eyes widened, while he began stuttering and floundering for a response, and Roxas may have even found it comical if the situation was not so serious. "Because if you do, then we have no choice to label you a traitor. And do you know what they do to traitors?"

The burly man looked terrified and could utter no response due to his fear. Roxas almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

When Leon got no answer he called the guards situated outside of the room and had the poor man taken to a cell. "Anyone else wish to state their humble opinions?" Silence. "No? Good. Now then, where were we? Ah yes, Your Majesty, in taking the crown you have vowed to protect our world, correct?" At this the blonde nodded. "As I expected. We, the Council, have decided that someone must be sent to Earth in order to track down whomever is behind this. As King, we wish to send you, Your Majesty."

Roxas had been prepare for something like this to be asked of him, and had given a lot of thought to how he would answer such a request, though he had to admit, this was a bigger request than he expected. The blonde knew he had a high risk of failing, yet he realized that he couldn't risk sending anyone else into danger, and it was then he knew his answer. "Okay."

The brunette smiled for the first time since the meeting started. "Of course. We can spare no more than a week to make preparations, so lets hope you use that time wisely Your Majesty."

The rest of the meeting was spent deciding the details.

He would be leaving in a week's time as Leon suggested, only packing the essentials such as Earth currency, his Keyblades, minimal clothing, and elixirs to boost his usually weak spells. Roxas didn't want to wait so long, and was ready to go as soon as possible. Unfortunately getting across the veil from their side was as of yet still impossible. The Council had been informed prior to the gathering, however, that the priests were close to creating a portal to Earth through the shrine, and they were to meet there on the day of the blonde's departure.

They also set about discussing what would happen if the blonde were to fail. Said blonde did not appreciate the fact that so many of the council members seemed resigned to the fact that they would most likely have to fall back on this plan. Now, Roxas knew he could not fail no matter what, if just to spite these men. For the most part he was able to tune out this portion of the talk, only really absorbing the fact that if he died his blades would return to the castle, informing them of his death, otherwise they were lead him back through the portal.

The only other part that Roxas made sure to listen to was when Leon had warned him on the dangers of Earth. "We have been gone for many a millennium, I doubt there are any who remember us. I believe that this is for the best; it is imperative that we remain in secrecy. There is no telling how humans may react. Nor do we know how you will react to Earth. After being gone so long, no one knows how a dragon will fare in that environment, I fear it may have ill effects on you health, so be aware of any changes you feel."

When they finished, Roxas was exhausted. He could think of nothing better than to curl up and sleep the week away, and that is almost exactly what he did.

The blonde didn't really care if he was referred to as lazy. The day after the meeting, he gathered everything he needed, packing it nice and neat beside his bed before hiding himself away in his chambers resting and reading, and sometimes simply standing at the window and admiring the view. The way Roxas saw it, these may be his last days in his own room for a while, if not forever, and he planned to make the most of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and The Killing Method of a Kind Dragon

Thanks to all of you who have faved and alerted :)

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

It had been a month since Roxas crossed over into Earth, and adjusting was much harder than he originally thought. The humans customs and ways of going about things was odd and foreign, often times leaving the blonde confused as to how to respond. Eventually after many wrongs, Roxas finally got the hang of things and that made the journey much smoother.

Another thing that was not going as expected was his mission. The first few days especially, had been frustrating. For the amount of creatures that were said to have been pulled through, there was very little trace of them. At first, anyway. It had taken a great deal of patience on Roxas's part, something the blonde was not known for, but slowly more and more reports were described to him that sounded promising.

And so it was that Roxas traveled from town to town, gathering information. His original plan, which sounded brilliant at the time, was to find the creatures and release them from their imprisonments unharmed, thus allowing them to lead Roxas back to their captor. His first encounter spoiled that plan.

Having located the first of what he had hoped would be many rescues, the blonde swiftly made his way into a heavily wooded area that had been plagued with numerous accounts of a ferocious man-eating beast straight from Hades imagination.

And that was exactly what he found.

The poor creature was merely a twisted shell of its former self, dark tendrils seeping from its very core. Roxas pitied the creature, watched as the dark matter wound its way around its heart. He had no choice but to put the beast out of his misery, unaware of the tears slipping down his cheeks.

Each Being he encountered, weighted down his heart heavily, adding up pound by pound until he was sure it could hold no more sorrow and break. Every last one wrapped in the darkness, which he suspected was the doing of whoever was behind this mess. It only strengthened his resolve to find this man and make him pay dearly for what he had done.

It was slow going in this manner of travel, and Roxas had begun to gain a reputation as a demon killer, drawing attention to himself. He couldn't stop Leon's last warning about secrecy from plaguing him, and if things continued as they were, the blonde was pretty sure that before another month was finished, he would have his own fan club. And while the notion was not repulsive, he knew he needed to lose the attention somehow, while still continue what he was sent to do.

That was precisely why he found himself in the capital city.

It had been a few days since Roxas happened upon the flyer for a tournament organized by the human King himself. It appeared that the king had received distressing news about a surge of beasts plaguing his peaceful county, at first thinking nothing of it until it was too evident to ignore. The top placers in the tournament would be sent to eliminate these threats. Roxas knew this was the perfect cover, no on would question him if he was just one face in a crowd, or so he hoped.

As he made his way down the streets, Roxas was overwhelmed. Nervously he adjusted the two blades strapped to his back and shifted weight between his feet. Continuing forward he approached what looked like a market. Never before had he seen so many colors and people and quite frankly it scared him. They were running, haggling, gossiping and more, everywhere he looked there was some sort of activity taking place.

Walking further through the bustling city, the number of humans out and about only increased. With people moving in every which direction it was no surprise to Roxas when he realized he was utterly lost. It was only after he had worked himself into a frenzy over his stupidity at losing his sense of direction that he was able to ask one such citizen for directions and was pointed in the right direction, right into the more crowded streets. Apparently this tournament was a big deal, if so many were eager to show. He only hoped this didn't ruin his chances of placing at the top.

Finally, after pushing his way through the hoards of people, Roxas happened quite suddenly upon the coliseum that would house the competition. It was quite unlike his own castles' fighting grounds. Instead, it was its own separate oval shaped building. Elegant sandstone stairs lead to the entrance, consisting of a large two-story arch that ended at a point and was delicately trimmed with gold and silver inlay. The walls of the structure were composed of rows of arches on top of arches and evenly placed grooved pillars.

As much as Roxas wanted to walk through the exquisite doorway, there was a separate entrance for those who wished to fight around to the back. Following the walls around he spotted a much smaller and less impressive looking back door that was attached to a long hallway that lead down under the structure. At the end of the hall, it opened up into a huge room with an arch on the opposite wall that acted as an entrance to the fighting rings.

The room was filled to the brim with fighters of all styles. Roxas was pretty sure that his Keyblades were the tamest looking weapons in the room. There were lances and axes covered in studs, sitar shaped clubs and steel circles lined with spikes, even a few bows and broad swords.

Amidst all of the chaos in the room sat the registration table and the line in front of it was growing rapidly so the blonde wasted no time in securing a place for himself. Twenty minutes later and Roxas was finally next in line.

"Next!" Roxas moved forward.

"Name and weapon." The man at the table curtly demanded.

"Roxas, Dual Keyblades."

He was given a number and with nothing else to do until his name was called. Roxas sat down, leaning against a random piece of wall, leg drawn into his chest.

It wasn't for another hour until all of the contestants were signed up and another sizable amount of time before Roxas' number was even close to being called.

The first and second fights were of no consequence for the blond, both being easy victories. There were a few other competitors, however, that looked like they might pose a challenge. One man wielding the sitar shaped club, in particular, took quite a bit of skill to take down. But in the end he left an opening to his left side, wherein Roxas took that opening to jam one of his Keyblades upward into the man's ribs causing the man to fall to the ground in defeat. Despite being beaten, the man stood and congratulated the blonde on his win.

Roxas really wasn't all that surprised that he made it to the finals. When he had been growing up, he was forced though rigorous training and even though he was not the strongest in his own world, humans didn't seem to put any merit in physical prowess. His opponent, however, proved to be an exception to the rule. The man was tall and lean, his long red hair hap-hazardly thrown into a ponytail slung over his shoulder, not to mention the spiked wheels of doom he was currently wielding. This guy looked like someone Roxas might struggle against, and he didn't like the feeling he got when he realized he might not win. He needed to have a guaranteed spot on the upcoming mission, that wasn't an option.

Sweat was beginning to trail down Roxas's face, stinging his eyes, but he couldn't afford to take his eyes off his opponent. Currently they were at a stand still, both retreating to separate sides, resting, waiting for the other to make the first move. And then the man shifted his weight, barely noticeable, but it was there. Roxas ducked as a wheel flew over his head, throwing himself forward into a roll before springing up catching the redhead off guard.

He managed to take his opponent by surprise, swinging Oblivion into the man's side while slamming Oathkeepers hilt into his chest with an unnatural speed. The force behind the hits flung the redhead on to his back, and quicker than the eye could see, Roxas swung his Keyblades in an arc, crossing the points so that each landed to either side of the man's neck as Roxas himself sat on his chest, effectively pining him to the ground.

Roxas didn't hear the call announcing him as the winner; instead his senses were focused solely on the man beneath him. His too bright green eyes, the tattoos on his cheeks, his muscular body and how it moved and tensed under him while he tried to catch his breath. All at once reality crashed down on Roxas as he scrambled to get off his opponent. He managed to keep the blush from rising to his cheeks, if just barely.

The award ceremony was a short, quick thing and the top five contestants were given instructions to stay behind, and Roxas could only guess that these were to be his companions. The first was a fellow by the name of Demyx. He was cheerful, if not a little overboard for Roxas' tastes, but kind hearted and extremely skilled when it came to playing his sitar, which conveniently could turn into an effective clubbing weapon on the turn of a dime.

The second was a quiet man, several years older than Roxas himself, named Riku Though he was a man of few words, Roxas was sure that the knives he carried were no less deadly.

Next was a blue haired man called Zexion, who specialized in magic. This was curious to the blonde, who had been under the impression that on Earth, magics were long forgotten and considered myth. Apparently this was not so, though these spells were quite different that the ones he was used to. They required words and motions to force the magic into doing the casters will, unlike the inherent power found within all Beings that was an extension of themselves, and needed no prodding. Because of this crucial difference, Zexion was forced to carry a heavy book, in which held all of his spells.

The last…well the last was the red haired man. Axel was his name. He wielded spiked wheels he called chakrams. He was loud and obnoxious, that Roxas could already tell, but he had excellent fighting skills and Roxas could confirm that first hand. The blonde also figured that after they got to know each other maybe the redheads personality wouldn't seem as abrasive, at least he hoped; the blonde didn't think he would be able to stand him otherwise. The only other problem he had with the man was the fact that the man's green eyes seemed to follow him around as he greeted and introduced himself to the others.

Once the pleasantries were over, Axel spoke up, "Not that this isn't fun, but I just got my ass kicked," here he pointedly looked at Roxas, " and I'm tired and sore and I need my beauty rest, 'cause well ya know, this," hands swept up and down his body, "doesn't just happen on its own, so I'm thinkin we need to wrap this up soon." The blonde tried and failed not to gag on the conceit oozing from the man.

"Oh! Okay! I know, I know" Demyx began jumping up and down excitably waving his hand in the air, "Lets meet tomorrow outside the eastern gate and go from there, this is so exciting!"

Roxas barely resisted rolling his eyes at the suggestion. Jumping right into it was not the best course of action, in fact that's how they would probably get someone killed. The blonde was reluctant to speak up, however, only because he had wanted to remain as neutral as possible, and not draw attention to himself, though if this is what he was going to have to deal with it might be harder that he thought. He was glad then, when Riku stepped forward, assuming the role of the eager leader with the brains. _Better him than me_, thought Roxas.

"Doesn't that seem fast, we don't even know where we're going, right? We should pool our knowledge and the information from the king himself and plan a workable and efficient route."

Axel sighed in annoyance, at what Roxas could only assume was most likely over the loss of beauty rest, while the rest of the group nodded their agreement, and the pooling of knowledge began. It wasn't until several hours, squabbles, and a severe pounding headache on Roxas's part later that they were done with the meeting and able to go, agreeing to meet a couple days later after gathering provisions and saying any goodbyes that were necessary.

Roxas spent those day preparing, much like he had before he left for Earth, and it was only too soon that it was time to leave.


End file.
